


The Memories and Ramblings of Tobirama Senju

by The_Fallen_Human



Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon Divergent, Edo Tensei, Gen, Hallucinations, Identity Issues, Impure World Reincarnation, Mask, References to Deltarune, Self-Experimentaion, Some Mad Science, Tobirama has identity issues, Tobirama isn't okay, but not really dying., medical needles, pretending to die, zalgo text
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2019-09-07 17:16:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 24
Words: 13,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16858078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Fallen_Human/pseuds/The_Fallen_Human
Summary: The memories and ramblings of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. Takes place in a different universe from canon.In which Tobirama is not a racist jerk.





	1. Red

Red.  
It's a color you see in many places.  
The color of the Sharingan. 

It is the color of blood.  
It's the color Tobirama saw as he held his friend. 

Tatsuma was bleeding out. 

Too many injuries. 

Too much red. 

His friend was dying and there was nothing Tobirama could do about it. 

Their attackers who ambushed them were also covered in red, but they had stopped moving already. 

Tatsuma was dying.

But Tobirama should have been the one bleeding red instead.


	2. Experiment

The sacrifice for the experiment. The eyes. His friend's eyes. 

The eyes that his friend left to him as a parting gift. 

The chakra liquid had been extracted from those eyes. This was pure Sharingan chakra. 

The red liquid in the injection needles glowed in the darkness of the lab.

His shadow clone would handle the procedure. He knew how much drug to apply to himself to keep pain down but not enough to knock himself unconscious. He wanted to be awake for this. 

Needed to.

After all, he needed to see this all through. Or else the eyes of his friend would have been sacrificed in vain.

Injections to his eyes would be nothing compared to the pain of watching his friend die.  
...  
...  
...  
...  
In fact, the injections to the eyes didn't seem that painful but then again he had drugged himself. He only felt the sensations of what should have been pain as the procedure was done.  
...  
...  
...  
Nothing happened. 

No Sharingan. 

Had it all been a waste?

Perhaps. 

Only time will tell.


	3. Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Losing a lover is never easy.  
> Love is a difficult thing.

Pain  
....  
....  
He is in pain.  
Why was he in so much pain?  
It's painful, very painful.  
What was causing him so much pain?  
...  
He wants to see her. He wants to be with her.  
He cannot.  
She is gone. Presumed dead.  
Heartbroken.  
This was what it was like to experience heartbreak  
That would explain the pain in his chest. 

It didn't explain the rest of his pain. 

His eyes were burning.  
Headache.  
How long had he been sitting alone in his lab?  
He was having trouble keeping track of time. He couldn't hope to form coherent thoughts that didn't have to do with his broken heart or the pain in his eyes.  
The pain in his eyes should go away eventually, it's best if he stays in his lab until it does. He couldn't let people know he was in pain, not even his older brother.  
Hashirama worried enough as is.

Not to mention, he was starting to hear things that weren't there. He didn't want to bother his older brother with that. 

He shouldn't concern his older brother about this.  
These hallucinations will go away on their own. He's an adult, he can handle this. He didn't need help.  
He could put up with the hallucinations and pretend to be fine.

Isn't that what other people do anyway?


	4. Gone

He could remember earlier that day.  
(Before the pain in his eyes and head.)  
(Before the pain in his chest)

Now, what exactly had set Tobirama off to begin with?

He was going to see her.  
The love of his life.

They had been together for around two years now.  
Yes. Two years.

Her name was....

* * *

It had been a nice day.

He had finished up his dangerous experiments. The injections to his eyes yielded no valuable results, it had been a failure. However, his friend's gift was not wasted, it provided him valuable insight at least.

Tobirama had warned her that he would be working on something for a few days. She knew Tobirama experimented but not the degree of what he did. He made sure to hide the experiments he did on himself from her. He didn't want her to worry. She knew the scars on his arms, and she called out when she saw he had given himself a deliberate self inflicted wound in the name of science. She was worried and she had every reason to be.

That's why Tobirama had decided to rest before going to see her again. It wouldn't be suitable for her to see him in such a state, especially when he was planning to propose to her soon.

It was only a short amount of time until he had reached her home.

Only, the place was empty.

It seemed to be deserted.

Where was she?

Ş̵̸͡͏̞͈͇̯̼̯̪̬̦͈h̨̰̦̦̠͙͉̣̰̻̮͍̖͈̥̘̠̀͘͠e̶̴̩̪͍͍͔̤͚̝̹̖̖̺͓̱̩̕̕ ͕̪̬͇̮̹̝̼̝͜ͅw̰̦̮̗̮͓͢͡ͅͅa̧̨̢̰̜͚̳̕s̸̵̷̺̞̯̺̕͡ ̛͏̛̤͙̣͓͈̼̯̠͖̤̝̕n͏҉̛̬͇̼̹͇̪̜̻͍̣̰̖̩̲͜ò͇͖̭͈͚̞͇̫̪̞̮͔̺̙͈͕̭͢w̧̡̞̩̭͚̘̖͓̩̩͙͕͓̠̯͖͖̤͢͡ͅh̶̨͎̦̙̪͉̬̭͕͘e̡̮͙͙̮͈̜͔̝̟͉̟͎͓͔̖͘͟r̷̸͖̰̞̗͍͖͈̗̹̙̱̬̰̣͘͠͝ȩ̸̴̨̢̱̬̝͚̬̲͓̼̺̲̖̳̳̥̩̫̪̜̭ ͏̴͈̜̪̪̮͙͕̬̱ͅt͙̭͓͇̕͢o̴̡̢͈̯̤͎̖̖̩̮̠͘ͅ ̡̪̘̣͎̘͈̟͙͙͠ͅb̶̧͖̯̱̩̣̱͙̀͝e̛̺͓̳̠̜̭̫̞͎͟ͅ ҉̷̛͏̘̱̞̱̙͉̞̞̝̜͈͍̝͔̣͔f̶̧̧҉̧̯̮̮̟̱͙͙̭̪̪̬̻̗̰͎o͇̤͈̝̹̱̱̬͓̺̹͇̭̘͟͟͠u̢̮̠̭̥͕̝̻̹͖̹̹͈̱͈͘ǹ̴̷̢̛̤͚̼̻̣͖͕͓͈̞͓̯̼̜ͅḑ̷̴̻͈͓͍̬͙̜͉͍̮̬͠͠..̸̡̛͔͙̳̻̝

 

 

* * *

He was worried.

She wasn't at any of her usual places.

Where could she have gone?

Not only did she disappear, but her brother did as well.

Something wasn't right. Something wasn't adding up.

Tobirama stood in one of the plazas in the village. How long had he been searching again? The time was around 1pm when he decided to catch his breath.

Oh, it seems his older brother was there. Had Hashirama been searching for him? It had to be important if Hashirama had been searching for him. 

* * *

And how things escalated from there.

A fight.

She couldn't be.

No.

Why?

She was the world to him, she couldn't be---

Tobirama found himself on the ground. He quickly jumped up to do his hand seals. Hashirama was preparing some sort of jutsu as well.

<s>It seems his brother didn't want to fight.</s>

That didn't matter.

She was gone. This village was meant to protect the ones that he loved. Hashirama said it would! He lied.

Tobirama was aiming to kill.

Someone joined the fray.

The fight didn't have time to escalate further.

Madara Uchiha.

Madara stepped in between the two Senju brothers. The Uchiha was keeping them apart.

Madara said something but Tobirama wasn't paying much attention.

The younger Senju brother frowned, not happy at the interruption. With a huff, Tobirama ran off.

"Wait!" Hashirama called out to his younger brother.

Hashirama wanted to go after his brother but Madara held him back. It wasn't a good idea to try to follow Tobirama at this point.

And so he ran.

He ran.

His eyes had begun to burn.

Then he activated his jutsu.

Flying Thunder God.

Poof.

He was gone.


	5. Explaining to a friend

Banging on the door to Madara's place during the dead of night was the last thing Tobirama thought he would do when he woke up.

But that's what ended up happening.

The pain in his eyes and his headache was still unbearable but at least he was well enough to move and get help.

This probably had to do with his experiment with the chakra injections. Probably. No. It definitely did. Was this some sort of delayed reaction? Likely. He needed help, and he didn't want to bother his brother about this, not after the incident today. Especially not after what happened today.

This was a long shot, but it was better than having to face his brother. (He was still angry at Hashirama, despite the pain that he was now facing.)

* * *

Madara's reaction wasn't what Tobirama was expecting, but Tobirama didn't even know what to expect to begin with.

Izuna had left a few weeks before, after the attack on the village. The same attack that resulted in Tatsuma's death. So he didn't have to worry about any confrontation with the younger Uchiha.

Izuna hated him and Tobirama didn't blame him at all. The Senju had nearly killed in battle. But that was war. Tobirama wished that he could have befriended the younger Uchiha but Izuna wasn't comfortable with him and he didn't want to force a friendship.

Madara was his friend though, and he trusted Madara with this.

But this was still not what he was expecting, whatever his expectations were.

But it certainly didn't include Madara serving him tea and calmly discussing what he's done, and the experiment along with it. What happened with Tatsuma..

The fact Tatsuma had left Tobirama his Sharingan as he was dying.

That wasn't a pleasant memory to remember with all the emotions he was feeling.

But it needed to be explained.

Madara would eventually tell Hashirama, that was a fact. Tobirama didn't have a definite time for when.

He really didn't want to deal with his older brother. He just didn't.


	6. Training from Hell

The inevitable question came about his eyes.

His eyes didn't look like the sharingan.

They were red.

Red like Tatsuma's blood.

Red like the Sharingan.

Madara asked if he could deactivate them.

He couldn't.

That's when he realised his irises were stained permanently red from the injections.

Though, if his eyes were not 'activated' and the red was simply a comestic side effect, that would mean he could possibly awaken his own version of the Sharingan.

He had the chakra in his eyes to do so. It could be possible.

* * *

 

So it was decided.

Tobirama would be staying with Madara for a few weeks. They would test this theory. (If Tobirama did have the Sharingan, it would be something he would need under control, to avoid possible catastrophe.) This would also be much needed time away from his older brother. This was turning out well.

* * *

 

Tobirama had been expecting to sit down and do some eye stuff as this was Sharingan training. But no.

Madara was ordering him to run around and do laps around the area and do exercises like lifting logs.

What.

Tobirama was lost.

But he did what he was told. 

* * *

 

"What does this have to do with the Sharingan?" Tobirama asked while stumbling towards Madara, out of breath.

Only for Madara to lunge at him as if they were sparring or something.

What.

WHAT.

This certainly wasn't expected


	7. One Plus One Doesn't Equal Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This bit was inspired by full moon laboratory.  
> (just like another chapter earlier on)

The inspection of a hypothesis, a calculation of a theory.

When he destroys, he creates something new.

At least, that's what Tobirama tells himself.

He was attempting to inject his brother's DNA in himself so that he may use wood release. After what he did to his eyes, he knew that it was possible, he just needed to figure out how.

* * *

 

Joining two together so that they became one, does not mean the result will come to be worth twice the value.

He succeeded.  
But it doesn't mean he's any closer to being like his brother.  
Nor is he worth anymore than he had been before the experiment began.


	8. A Fight Between Friends

When Izuna finally returned to the village, the circumstances weren't pleasant.

Convincing his older brother to attack the village with him was bad enough.

Throw in the Nine Tailed Fox?

What a recipe for disaster.

 

* * *

 

Izuna really didn't like Tobirama. Or the Senju clan as a whole.

The fact Tobirama nearly killed him didn't help at all.

So, here they all were on the battlefield again.

Uchiha versus Senju

Not this again.

The one of reasons why the hidden village was founded was to stop this conflict.

Tobirama solemnly readied himself for combat against his friend Madara... and Madara's younger brother, Izuna. Hashirama wasn't taking this well either. Neither Senju brother wanted to fight the two Uchiha.

Did they truly have to fight as enemies again?

What would be accomplished by destroying the village? It was a joint effort between the four of them and their clans. Other clans came and joined them in their efforts to create peace. Why?

 

W h y ?

 

Here, the clans worked together and there was peace. Children didn't have to die. There was a time where things weren't as good as they were now. Why would anyone want to go back to that?

 

_Please, stop this. Just stop this, please._

 

* * *

 

It was a long and arduous battle.

In the end, the battle was won. The Senju brothers were victorious, Hashirama had talked Madara down out of fighting.

Izuna on the other hand? He ran away.

Madara called out after him but it was too late, Izuna was already gone. 


	9. Not Surprising

It was sad news when Madara left the village.

Sad but not unexpected.

Madara wanted to find his brother.

That was understandable, Madara wanted to bring his little brother home.

Tobirama would have done the same for his brothers, all three of them.

Hashirama, Kawarama and Itama. (Too bad that Kawarama and Itama are long dead)  
  
Hashirama wanted to go with Madara, but the man was busy being Hokage. That and Madara had left in the dead of night without telling anyone after he finished recovering. That wasn't surprising at all.

It would be more surprising if Izuna came back to the village on his own willingly and gave up his grudge against the Senju clan. The definition of surprise hints at something being unexpected or highly unlikely and that something occurring anyway.

 

* * *

 

That battle was over, it was time for Tobirama to continue his experiment once again. This experiment more personal than scientific in nature but it was an experiment all the same.

He couldn't let Hashirama find out about this experiment. Tobirama had to be careful, more so than with his previous experiments. This wasn't going to be easy, knowing what some of the details of this particular experiment might possibly entail.

But it was worth the risk.

He would continue with this experiments.

He would see the loved ones he's lost again, no matter what the cost.

All three of his brothers would be able to be together again.

Tatsuma would return.

And his lover would be united with him at last.

That's why Tobirama couldn't let Hashirama know. His elder brother would certainly try to stop him. And he didn't want to be stopped. Not when this goal was within reach using his knowledge. The cost didn't matter. Tobirama was losing everything at the rate things were going, so he might as well pay the costs while he could... while he could still afford the costs.

After all, anyone would give anything to bring a loved one back, right?


	10. Loss and Necromancy

Necromancy.

  
This was against all forms of natural law.  
But it was okay, it didn't matter. It didn't matter because he didn't care about such things anymore.

 

Between the annoying attempts of the clan elders to arrange a marriage and the stress of Madara leaving, there was now new motivation for Tobirama to finish this necromantic experiment. He just needed more time.

 

* * *

 

Madara Uchiha is dead.

 

Or at least, that's what is being presumed. None of the search parties have found anything or any trace of him. It has been over how many months and there's been no word or any sign that the man was still alive. It was a strange thought to think of Madara as dead. Madara, die? Now that's something surprising.

 

And very saddening.

 

Madara Uchiha was one of Tobirama's few friends and the best friend of his eldest brother Hashirama. Neither brother was okay with this new development. If Madara had just let Hashirama go with him, this wouldn't have happened. Madara would be alive... or both Hashirama and Madara would be dead, and where would that leave Tobirama? Not in a very pleasant place. Perhaps it was for the best Madara went alone. But, neither brother would see it that way as both brothers would blame themselves for Madara's death. Tobirama would contain the self-blame in the back of his mind.

 

After all, he had an experiment to finish and an older brother to comfort. He and Mito both put great effort into making sure Hashirama kept his mind off the subject. The funeral was difficult for both brothers, losing someone close was never easy. It doesn't matter how many people that a person loses, it's still a painful experience.

 

Loss is an awful thing. Death can be whimsical regarding who it claims, it didn't discriminate. Young or old, rich or poor, sick or healthy--- it didn't care.

 

It wasn't fair.  
Most things weren't fair.  
And Tobirama hated that.

 

Madara's death gave the younger Senju brother more motivation to press forward the experiment he was working on. Death didn't care, why should he care about things like natural order? He found a way to defy it, a way to change the natural order... or at least Tobirama was close to doing it. He just needed a little bit more time.

 

He needed to keep this a secret from Hashirama for a little while longer.

 

It wasn't completed yet, he still needed to run the first testing. Then he would go back to make improvements if necessary. Hashirama could not find out about this. At least not until Tobirama was completely finished.

 

* * *

 

_dont worry, hashirama._

_i'll bring madara back,_

_i'll bring back itama and kawarama too._

_my friend tatsuma will be coming back._

_and i'll bring Her back as well,_

_no longer will death separate us from our loved ones._

_just give me a little bit more time._

_i'm close to a breakthrough, just let me continue my work._

_let me continue with my experiments._

 

* * *

 

This wasn't the beginning of Tobirama's downward spiral. His descent into this darkness had begun a long time ago, years ago to be percise. It had began with the loss of Akemi. The difference between now and then is that he was much better at hiding it back then. It didn't matter though, Tobirama would be finished with this experiment. 

 

Soon, his brother would be happy.


	11. Impure World Reincarnation

Tobirama didn't pay much attention to Hashirama's children. In fact, he tried to avoid them as much as possible with somewhat good reason. It wasn't that he didn't like kids, not at all. Tobirama's original plan was to marry Her and have children, after all. He was still bitter he wasn't able to marry Her and have kids like he originally planned to. It wasn't anything against Hashirama's children, not at all. Tobirama loved his brother's children, and he considered himself a good uncle. He would watch them sometimes when Mito and Hashirama were both busy, but other than that? He tried to limit his contact with them. The man didn't want or need another painful reminder of what he was robbed of.

The man would much rather continue his experiments.

 

* * *

 

It was nearly time.

He could almost begin the testing phase of his experiment. This necromantic experiment of his resulted in a new jutsu. He would name this unnatural jutsu 'Impure World Reincarnation'. There were just a few things Tobirama needed to acquire before he could test this experiment of his. It wasn't anything major. He only had to dig up the graves of his dead brothers. It shouldn't take too long with the help of his shadow clones....

 

It's almost time for his family to be reunited.

 

* * *

 

Tobirama had the sacrifices ready for this test phase. Two prisoners who were captured trying to infiltrate the village. Criminals. Surely, no one would miss them. Right? He was right. Of course he was.

The sacrifices for this experiment. The price to pay.

It was all coming together now.

 

_Now, it begins._

 

* * *

 

It was finally time.

 

He prepared the samples from his brothers' bones by setting them on two special scrolls, one scroll for each brother. Two identical seals appeared on the ground, with one sacrifice in the center of each seal.

 

The screams of the sacrifices resounded. It was a signal of his triumph over death. He grinned as he watched the dark jutsu at work.

 

* * *

 

His younger brothers stood in front of him. They looked no older than when they died. He could bring back the dead, he just did what was thought to be impossible.

 

He wanted to laugh. Did he laugh? Was he laughing? It didn't matter.

 

He could show his brother, he would show his brother. This was for both of them, after all. His undead younger siblings seemed so confused.

 

"Tobirama."

 

That was Hashirama's voice and it didn't sound happy. He snapped out of his madness to turn and look at his older brother.

 

When did his eldest brother get here? How much had Hashirama seen?

 

Hashirama was angry with him? But why?

  
He could do this for Madara and bring him back! The same with Tatsuma! And Her! Everyone would be happy. This was supposed to be happy, why was Hashirama angry?

 

Tobirama didn't understand.

 

When did he start shaking? What was this awful feeling? Sadness? Guilt?

 

It was guilt, wasn't it?

 

* * *

 

_Selfish? How am I selfish? I did this for both of us! I brought our brothers back to us!_

 

Was he selfish? He didn't think so. Was he?

Perhaps.

Perhaps this jutsu was a mistake.

Perhaps he was wrong.

No.

He was wrong. He should have never done this. Tobirama had made a mistake. 


	12. For Us?

Hashirama was right.  
It is selfish to bring back the dead.  
He was shelving Impure World Reincarnation. This would be an experiment that he wouldn't finish. And it was better that way.

 

Itama and Kawarama were returned to the Pure Land.

 

There were other experiments to work on. He will continue with his experiments, he would make more breakthroughs, but no more necromancy. Just because he was the man who could bring back the dead, doesn't mean he wanted to be that. He definitely didn't want to be, not after how Hashirama had reacted.

 

* * *

  

A shift in focus was a welcome distraction.  
Self experimentation was always an option on the table. It was a good distraction from sinking guilt he felt. And besides, he needed to check on the cells he had inserted into himself.

 

Outwardly, there was no affect on his left arm. He didn't know if this was a good thing or bad thing. Did he need to input more of his brother's cells?

 

But he did seem to look and feel younger, that's something he had noted. Was this a side effect as a result of his experiment or did it have a different cause?

 

Was he able to use wood release like his elder brother? He wanted to know. There was only one way to find out.

 

* * *

  

Tobirama had always wanted to be able to use Wood Release like his older brother. Ever since his older brother had first discovered it, Tobirama felt a tinge of jealousy towards his older brother. He tried to preform wood release but he couldn't. He just couldn't.

 

Just another way he wasn't like his older brother.

 

He was born with silver white hair and icy blue eyes. He stood out. He was the odd one out. It was only until Itama was born with half of his hair silver white like his and one icy blue eye. The child validated his existence, that he was his father's son.

 

Even with his existence validated, he still was a tiny bit jealous of Hashirama.  
And that was why he started this experiment, even if he didn't want to admit it to himself.


	13. Reasons

* * *

Tobirama looked in awe as he looked at the the wooden structure that he had created. It looked somewhat like a tree? It looked twisted and mangled however. How that was even possible is beyond him. But that didn't matter.

 

The experiment was definitely a success.

 

He definitely needed to keep this a secret.

 

This could turn the tide of battle, a power that his enemies never expected him to have. Tobirama also needed to master it. He only had so much time to do things though....

 

But that's what shadow clones were for.  
Or at least, one of the reasons.

 

* * *

 

Assisting his brother. 

Experimenting.

Training.

 

Tobirama usually assisted his brother in person, not a shadow clone... except for when his brother wasn't around and he was just listening to others on his brother's behalf--- that's something he uses a shadow clone for.

 

But really, his life was falling into a routine of doing three different things, in varying order. Sometimes overlapping with each other with the use of shadow clones.

 

Hiruzen and the rest of his students had long been promoted to chunin and were mostly independent from him now. So that freed up more of Tobirama's time since he was no longer teaching.

 

* * *

  

The number reasons he stayed in the village had detiorated over time.

 

 ~~The woman he loved?~~   **Dead**

 ~~His friend Tatsuma Uchiha?~~   **Dead**

 ~~His friend Madara Uchiha?~~   **Dead**

Hashirama Senju? Still alive and well for now. 

 

Tobirama hoped Hashirama would stay that way.

 

It was foolish for him to keep his hopes up. Very foolish. Tobirama should have known better.

 

* * *

 

Tobirama didn't want to believe the news. He didn't want to believe what he was told. 

 

Hashirama Senju was killed in battle.

 

_Hashirama was killed._

 

His brother was dead. 

 

Hashirama was  _ **d e a d.**_

 

What was the point? What reason had he to stay in the village now? What reason was there for him to live?

 

Oh. 

 

He was Hokage now. Tobirama didn't want to be. He wanted to throw himself into science and working on his experiments full time. He wasn't suited to be Hokage. Being an advisor? Yes, he could do that, but being Hokage required more than intelligence. It required more social skills and diplomatic tact than what he possessed. 

 

Tobirama was also was the head of the Senju Clan now. He definitely hated dealing with matters regarding his clan. Especially after how the elders disapproved of Her and the rest of the situation that arose from that. 

 

This wouldn't last long. 

 

_He needed to leave._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhh I dont know who reads this but whoever reads this story, thanks.  
> leave a comment sometime, maybe.


	14. FREEDOM AND DEVILSTHORN

"One of you will be Hokage." Tobirama said as he gestured to Kagami and Hiruzen. "You two can decide among yourselves."

 

Kagami Uchiha was always so self sacrificing, he often forgot he mattered as well. Madara tried hard to teach Kagami that he mattered too, but it seems that some habits don't seem to die. Still, Kagami Uchiha was taught by the best to be one of the best. Hiruzen Sarutobi was always a good student. Intelligent and talented. Hiruzen was good friends with Kagami. They got along. Both of them shared similiar ideals, except Hiruzen wasn't as self sacrificing as Kagami.  
Both of them were good choices. If one became Hokage, one would undoubtedly help the other.

 

That's why Tobirama's conscience was clear about this and what he would do. This was something he had been planning for about a year now. It wouldn't be a lie to say he wasn't planning for an opportunity like this the second he became Hokage and Senju Clan leader (at the same time). This was his chance to disappear.

 

To fake his death.

 

And to make it even better, it would be seen as him sacrificing himself to save his team... it almost hurt him... to continue pretend as if this was a self sacrificing thing. No, it did hurt him to lie like this to his former students and his fellow Konoha shinobi. But he needed to do this, they wouldn't understand... and Tobirama wouldn't expect them to. Not at all, for they were more free than he. And now? Tobirama would be free too, or he would die trying. Both were ways out of his situation, only difference was that one was preferred over the other.

 

* * *

 

The Kinkaku Force has no idea of his true capacities. No one knows about his wood release, it's his secret. His secret weapon.

 

~~_HA HA, LET'S MAKE THE DEVILSTHORN._~~

 

A wooden thorn sprouted from the ground and pierced a shinobi's chest before expanding and twisting in various directions. Blood splattered as the man was torn apart. Had that been Kinkaku? He wasn't sure. Most of the other members of Kinkaku's squad were impaled and torn to shreds in the same way. He could finish the rest off the still living stragglers without wood release. His eyes glowed eerily as his version Sharingan was activated.

 

Blood. Crimson

 

Tobirama was grinning and covered in blood. This was oddly satisfying for him. How curious. But he couldn't afford to be distracted. He would finish off the enemy, and leave not one alive to tell of his wood release, then he had to plant the fake body he had prepared.

 

~~_EVEN THE DEVILSTHORN IS SMILING!_ ~~

 

* * *

 

It didn't take too long to kill the rest of the squad. Some of them had thought he was Hashirama returned from the dead. How wrong they were. It was funny, so very hilarious. A head falls to the ground. It wasn't Tobirama's head, no. It belonged to a Cloud Shinobi. The last Kinkaku Squad force member was now dead. Now all that's left was for him to take the fake body out of the scroll it was sealed in... and perhaps add a few details to make it seem more convincing-- for an example, blood stains would be appropriate for a corpse that supposedly died in battle.

 

~~***The air crackles with freedom** ~~

 

Free, free!

He was finally free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I ended up putting Deltarune references in this.


	15. Safehouse

One of Kinkaku's weapons was a fan of some kind. It was interesting, as it was similar to the Bashōsen of legend. There was a chance it was the legendary fabled treasured tool of the Sage of Six Paths. It would be foolish to leave it there on the chance that it could be. Plus, it would serve nicely as a trophy, a trophy to his freedom and victory... Yes, he would take the fan. Tobirama picked up the fan, inspecting the colors and design. It looks like he has another weapon to add to his collection. Artifact or not, it was now his. Tobirama's prize for a plan well executed.

 

* * *

 

The fake body was already in place and dressed up to match the scene. Tobirama needed to leave now. There wasn't much of a question of 'where was he going to go?' because he had already planned ahead for this. He had prepared a safe-house for himself, near the Valley of End. He smiled to himself as he tightened his grip on the fan and disappeared from the grisly aftermath of battle.

 

Only for Tobirama to reappear in the safe-house he had prepared ahead of time. The safe house wasn't anything too special but was hidden and secure. Seals prevented other people from entering and seeing the entrance. He would be safe here. The place only consisted of a bed and some other pieces of furniture. Copies of his notes were in a small box near by his bed. There were many other boxes as well, most of the safe-house was filled with them which made rather cramped. Tobirama needed all these boxes however, as they were filled with food, water, ninja supplies and equipment for his future experiments. He could handle cramped quarters as he wasn't going to be staying here forever. Tobirama only planned to be here for a few months to help fabricate the idea he was dead. He carefully placed the bashōsen fan on a box close to the bed before removing the box of notes off the bed and onto the floor. Originally, Tobirama just wanted to relax, but exhaustion was hitting him now that the leftover adrenaline was wearing off. Tobirama smiled before climbing in bed.

 

Tomorrow would be the first day of the rest of his life and Tobirama was looking forward to it.

 

* * *

 

When Tobirama woke up, he was confused for a few moments. This wasn't his residence in Konohagakure, which threw him off. Had he been captured? No that didn't seem right at all. Then the events of yesterday came flooding back to him. He remembered the Hokage Escort Team, the carnage of battle and the trophy fan. Tobirama didn't dream the events of yesterday, it had all been real. It took a little while for that to finally set in. Tobirama sat up and yawned, he was still tired from the events of yesterday but he needed something to eat. He lazily got out of bed before going over to one of the boxes and opening it. Inside was an assortment of pickled food in jars.

 

At least, Tobirama didn't have to worry about going hungry during these next few months.


	16. Long Live Mask

Tobirama Senju was dead.

 

Or at least that's what he wanted the world to think with faking his death. It had been sometime during the winter that Tobirama had pulled that little stunt to take his death. The safe-house was safe, cramped but safe. But he obviously wasn't going to live in the safe house forever. After the third month of staying in the safe-house, Tobirama decided it was safe enough to leave. So, he began to make his preparations. One, he couldn't wear his signature blue shinobi armour and fur collar anymore. Two, he couldn't show his face anymore, he had to conceal his identity. After all, Tobirama was dead.

 

New attire was required and fortunately Tobirama had the foresight to prepare for that as well. New attire complete with a new color scheme. The new color scheme consisted of mostly pale colors. Now for his face, he would need a mask. A mask to conceal his face, a new identity. For now he would don a simple white mask, it wasn't anything special. If anything, it was uneven and brittle and scratchy looking. It would do for now.

 

He was now Mask.

Long live Mask.

 

* * *

 

Tobirama would have to do some packing, he couldn't leave anything behind. He didn't want to leave a trail behind. So he began to seal everything into scrolls. Plus, anything left behind could be used by Konohagakure's enemies and he refused to let that be a possibility. Even if he did leave the village, that was still partially his work and the work of Hashirama, Madara and Izuna. It was their shared legacy, so Tobirama still felt the faintest tie of responsibility towards the hidden village. So, he didn't want to move too far from the village, but he didn't want to stay in the Land of Fire. It was almost a contradiction. Almost. There was a perfect place for him to set up geographically close to the Land of Fire.

 

The Land of Sound.

 

It was the most ideal location. It had no hidden village so he didn't have to worry about the politics around that. The Sound consisted mostly of solitary clans that kept to themselves and stayed on their own lands, along with a handful of scattered civilian villages that were protected by said clans. The number of clans and villages in the Land of Sound was less than a handful. He had nothing to worry about, except maybe convincing the Sound Daimyo to allow him to set up shop--- but that was a small thing, a minor inconvenience.

 

Tobirama had already scouted ahead and found the perfect place. All that was left was to finish sealing everything into these scrolls and putting the scrolls into the bag. After he was finished sealing things away, he would leave the safe house and destroy it. There wouldn't be a trace of him being there soon enough.

 

Long live Mask. Long live the White Ghost.


	17. Tobirama Senju is dead

~~_I am Tobirama Senju._ ~~

~~_No, I was once Tobirama Senju._ ~~

 

_I had three brothers, one older brother and two younger brothers. The oldest was Hashirama, who was at least three years older than me. After me was Kawarama, the second youngest and finally, Itama the youngest brother. Unfortunately, my two younger brothers didn't make it to adulthood._

 

_I was around eighteen years old when my brother Hashirama made peace with the Uchiha clan. It turns out his friend from childhood was Madara, the Uchiha Clan Leader. It was a start of a new era, it was the change that Hashirama would always talk to my brothers and I about when we were kids. Everything was happy and promising. This was the first Hidden Village, Konohagakure. Other clans joined our two clans and the village expanded, a good sign. There were rumors of others following our example in other major countries which could only mean we were doing something right._

 

_As much as I'd like to say everything was perfect from then on out, I cannot. It wasn't perfect but it was good enough... No, it wasn't perfect until I met her._

 

_̫̣͓̫̳̝̕ ̺̖͙̪̣̰̟̥̀͠_̧͎͓̭̙̠̤̜͔͡ ̨̧̲̠̙̝̭̹͝_̸͍̫̞ ͔͉̫͇͓͟ͅ 

 

   
_The love of my life, the woman who meant everything to me. I will never forget her warmth and how her presence brightened my life. I once said I would never marry but then she came into my life and changed my entire perspective. I could be more open about myself around her and she taught me I didn't have to constantly compare myself to others. The Clan Elders never did approve of her but I wasn't one for letting old misers make decisions for me. Hashirama approved of her and so did Mito, my sister in law. In fact, Mito couldn't wait to meet the woman who could motivate me to keep semi-regular sleeping hours, keep tabs on my health and could make me go to festivals and other events willingly. Madara was also happy for me. My would have been future brother in law took some convincing but he eventually relented. I had all the approval I felt I needed._

 

_It was more than heartbreaking when she disappeared. Not only had I lost the love of my life, I had lost a good friend of mine in battle within the last month. (He shouldn't have been the one to die that day. It should have been me.) This happened about two years after the village was founded. I was wrong about everything being perfect._

 

_The Clan Elders were awfully happy to try to arrange a marriage for me. It was all they ever summoned me for. I always declined, but they never got the hint. It took a threat to kill them all in their sleep to make them stop. I was surprised hat I didn't get in trouble for making that kind of threat though. That's when they finally got the message that I wasn't interested in anyone else._

 

_I would never forget her and I would never be okay with having my happiness taken from me._

 

_Hashirama always tried to keep me involved with his family. The effort was appreciated, more or less. It still stung that I wasn't allowed my own happiness, but still. My older brother was trying his best. I even held his granddaughter once or twice. ~~Tsunade was about five years old when I 'died'.~~_

* * *

 

_That's enough talk about a dead man. Tobirama Senju is dead. He died battling the Kinkaku Force to buy his team time to escape. Tobirama Senju is dead. Tobirama Senju is dead. TOBIRAMA SENJU IS DEAD._


	18. Hidden in the Sound

The White Ghost.

 

He really knew how to make a name for himself. Not that he was trying though, as he was simply keeping unwanted people away from his work. However this White Ghost business seems to be helping keep people away. The rumors and theories that had begun to circulate about him as 'the White Ghost' were certainly intriguing. Some thought he was a shinigami or an angry ghost from the warring states period, others thought he was some sort of demon. People could come up with pretty outlandish ideas, and it was helping him keep people away. Good. The amount of Leaf Ninja he had to force to forget and drag away from his territory was dwindling down. The amount of other shinobi he's had to kill was also dwindling. He was able to work in relative peace and isolation, just like he wanted.

 

But things change.

 

His little facility grew into a small community. There were refugees from the recent wars, and he let them stay with him. He didn't regret it. Civilians that wanted protection from the great shinobi nations, there were also missing-nin who wanted to start new lives. These people would need medical treatment and medicines. Tobirama--- Mask was an expert in the fields of science and medical jutsu, he could act as their doctor and use them as willing test subjects. Yes. That is exactly what he would do. And so he did.

 

T--- Mask performed the more dangerous experiments on himself though. He never subjected these people to dangerous experimental treatments, at least not without permission.... most of the time. He wouldn't do painful experimental treatments on children if he could help it. He wasn't a complete monster, was he? His personal code was complex and had its exceptions and internal rules within rules. Complicated. Mask tried to keep true to science but he had morals, and the reverse was also true, He had morals but he wanted to remain true to science. Confusing. Complicated. Certain people like his elder brother and friend had gotten to him a long time ago and Mask simply accepted that. He was honoring their ideals, he could do that at least... or try to.

 

Tobirama had newfound freedom now that he was free from the Hidden Leaf. Freedom came with its own share of difficulties and complications though. Was it worth it? Yes. He knew what he was getting into when he planned his freedom, it was all just a matter of adjusting.... and determining his own personal rules. Simple things, that's all.

 

Such simple things.

 

Or at least it was supposed to be simple. It was easier for him not to think about it, and that was for the best. The best he could hope for was to be a decent human being and he would at least attempt to be one.

 

She would want him to be a better person, right?


	19. Painful Reminders

Tobirama _Senju is dead._ _  
So why am I still being tortured by those memories. I shouldn't feel anything. These feelings shouldn't mean anything to me. She shouldn't mean anything to me. Yet the memories and emotions continue to haunt me. Why do I continue to feel this pain?_

 

_Why do I still feel this heartbreak? Why do I still feel this pain?_

 

_I left the place associated with this pain but it doesn't seem to have done much. The feelings return when I let my mind wander for too long. I can't let myself think about her, or else it will hurt more. If I think too much about it, the hallucinations return and it will become worse. It will go away if I don't think about it, it's the best method I have to get rid of these feelings._

 

_I lock myself in my lab and resist the urge to scream and break things. I ignore the tears that run down my face behind my mask. This is illogical and unfair, but there is no one who can understand my anguish._

 

_**You tell me to stay away. You know I'm a product of your mind but you cannot find the will to banish me on your own. How pathetic. You can't bring yourself to move on from her, that's why your mind molds me into her shape. You want me to go away? I'll disappear sooner or later until the next time your mind brings me back. You know this is a battle between yourself and you're still losing.**  
_

 

_I ignore the hallucination of her. I must continue my experiments. I know those emotions still hurt, but there's nothing I can do. They are the memories of the old me, a dead man. Faking my death was a finality, the feelings should have stopped then. Those feelings should have died with that identity, that version of myself. I am free from the Hidden Leaf Village but not free from my feelings of her. I still miss her, but I cannot let that stop me._

 

_I cannot let old emotions cripple me. Those feelings are in the past, and that's where they belong. I won't let the heartache of the past become an obstacle to my work in the present._

 

_I must keep silent about this like I did in the Hidden Leaf. No one but me will understand where these feelings come from. People ask too many questions, I prefer not to answer questions, especially ones about my past. Thus, I resist the urge to scream. Therefore, I will suffer in silence like I did in the Hidden Leaf and continue to pursue my research and experiment to continue to expand my knowledge. I cannot give the pain and emotions the time of day, it would be a waste of time to address them. There's nothing I can do about this heartbreak, the person I loved died a long time ago. That's why it hurts, I miss her. She's the only one who can do anything about it. But she is dead. Therefore, there is nothing that can be done. That is fine, I can put up with it. It's not like I do not have experience with managing these types of things. I must continue with my experiments. I continue forward, writing information down on paper. Hypothesis and theories that I will test later._

 

**_Of course. According to you, everything is fine. You tell yourself that you can handle it and that this is something easily ignored. You know that it is a lie. You tell yourself this lie all the time and you continue to believe yourself. How long will you be able to keep deceiving yourself? When will you finally admit that you are not okay? All this lying to yourself and acting tough... it's tiring, isn't it?_ **

  

_Sometimes, I let myself think back and remember her. I know it's a foolish mistake to make but I allow myself to do so anyway. The memories of her aren't bad ones at all, they are happy ones. My memories of her are some of the happiest memories I have. She was such a wonderful person, warm and bright. Once I let myself remember, everything comes rushing back to me. I even let myself go back over certain memories to remember certain things about her again. I know I shouldn't be wasting my time remembering such things, the last thing I need is to indulge in these memories further. This is only a minor distraction from my work. I can afford to take a small break from my work. Yes, I can indulge in this temptation for a little bit longer..._

 

_I can feel the bittersweetness caused by remembering her. This is the only way I can see her again. I wonder why I didn't want to remember in the first place._

 

**_You failed to protect her! You promised you would be there for her when she needed you! You promised to protect her!_ **

  

_The hallucination tears me from my bittersweet indulgence of remembering her. Real or not, those words sting. No, those words do more than sting me, the word sting implies a lesser pain. This feeling is no small pain, the word sting does it no justice in indicating how painful it is. The thought that the reason why we aren't happily married now is my own failure is not a pleasant idea at all. That is not an acceptable conclusion. The Hidden Leaf Village was partially founded so we could protect our loved ones easier, it failed in its purpose, it failed me. Therefore, I am not the one at fault._

 

_I now remember why I don't let myself dwell on my memories, the feelings are nothing but a distraction. I cannot let myself dwell on my own failure and inabilities of back then. It is best for me to focus on the present and future, the past is dead. The only appropriate course of action to prevent other emotional memories from forming is to close off my emotions. I will not allow myself to become too emotionally invested in anything going forward. It is better this way._


	20. New Experiment

It is said the more one hurts others, the easier it becomes because one closes themself off from others. But people also close themselves off because they can't stand to be hurt by others anymore. Sometimes, one closes themself off because emotions are weaknesses that could be exploited. There were plenty of reasons to close off one's emotions. Mask swore that he wouldn't let himself be affected by emotions and form attachments. He expected himself to keep that promise. The former Hokage shouldn't have any problems with something so simple.

 

How did he end up caring about the wellbeing of this child? No-- the boy has a name. The child is named Yota. How did he end up caring about Yota? When did he start caring? How could he have let this happen? Mask did not know. For such an intelligent man, he could be such an idiot.

 

* * *

 

Yota was not like ordinary children, he was gifted with a kekkai genkai and great potential to be a shinobi. He loved to play and run around like other children. But unlike other children, he was born frail and he exhausted himself easily. Yota was a sickly child. The boy probably wouldn't make it to the age of ten, let alone adulthood if his condition was left alone. It was a tragedy that the child's potential wouldn't be realized. But that was how the world worked, it wasn't fair but that's how things were.

 

Unless, he could change that. Tobirama could probably cure the condition all together, he was the man who brought the dead back to life after all. But should he bother? He could easily just keep the boy alive with the most basic treatments and not do anything about the condition. If he wanted to fix the condition, he would probably have to do experimental treatments that could be painful, and he would rather not do that sort of testing on a child. 

 

* * *

 

Yota was frightened of him when they both met for the first time. That had been sometime before the Third Shinobi War. The boy was about four or five years old. The mask Tobirama wore scared the child, but that wasn't something he could help. The best he could do is convince Yota that he wasn't a monster or any kind of threat. He would need the boy's trust if he wanted to help the boy and fix the boy's condition. Mask could easily use his Sharingan to coerce the child into trusting him but that would be wrong, he needed to do this without mind tricks. It wouldn't be right to use his Sharingan on a child like that, he still had some degree of morality left. That aside, Tobirama felt bad for the child, because Yota was worse off than he was in his own childhood. That's probably a huge part of the decision to do what he could to cure Yota.

 

So that's why he decided to do something unexpected. Tobirama knelt down to the child so that they could be face to face. There was no one but them in the room that was repurposed into an examination room. Yota flinched back instinctively and made his fear of the masked man more apparent. Tobirama already knew the child was afraid of him, so that wasn't much of a surprise. The former Hokage carefully removed his mask so that Yota could see his face. This would help the boy trust him as Yota would have a face to associate him with instead of the mask that caused so much distress. It was fine for Yota to see his face, the boy was too young to know who he was and was unlikely to have visited the Hidden Leaf before. 

 

"It's alright.. I'm not a monster or anything like that, I have a face like you." Tobirama said carefully to avoid making the child fear him even more.

 

The child hesitated before reaching for Tobirama's face. That was fine, Tobirama could allow this. Yota patted the former Hokage's face, as if to confirm that this was indeed a real face and not any sort of deception. The boy grinned when he found that the face was indeed legitimate, he wasn't afraid of the unmasked shinobi as he had been before. Tobirama gave a small smile, slightly amused by Yota's actions. It almost reminded him of Hashirama's children when they were smaller. Almost. He shouldn't be comparing this boy to Hashirama's children but he had no other children to compare him to apart from his brothers and perhaps his students, but he didn't deal with his students when they were this young.

 

~~He wanted to have children of his own once upon a time.~~

But that is a memory of another time in what he considers another life. There is no use for Mask to continue dwelling on that. 

 

He would do everything in his power to help Yota, he could at least make sure this child would live a decent life. Tobirama could promise that at least, even if he shouldn't be making promises. But SHE would want him to be a better person, or at least try to be... helping Yota means he was trying to be a good person to some degree. Tobirama would be doing a good thing, plus with Yota's condition, he could talk himself into thinking he's doing this as a sort of side experiment.

 

* * *

 

Tobirama wasn't attached to the child, no, he swore off emotional attachments. Yota is an experiment, an excuse to play god... or at least that's what he tells himself. If the experimental treatments go well, the former Hokage would have a new student to train, a new shinobi to help keep others away from his place. Plus, this gave the former Hokage a new kekkai genkai to study should Yota survive and become his student. He definitely didn't consider the boy to be like a son to him. The boy is an experiment, or at least that's what Tobirama keeps telling himself. It's amazing how easily the former Hokage believes the lies he tells himself.

 

 ~~'Mask' certainly doesn't care when Yota imitates him in childish ways. He certainly doesn't smile beneath his wooden false face when the boy makes a childish mask and wears it around. The former Hokage certainly doesn't feel a hint of pride whenever the child tells him about his mask like he didn't notice that the child was wearing one.~~ The boy was an experiment, nothing more. This was for science and as a scientist, 'Mask' wanted to study the Yota's kekkai genkai. Therefore, 'Mask' needed the child to live and for the child to live and use his kekkai genkai, the scientist would need to do something about that condition of fatigue and frailty. There's no room for personal attachments in scientific study.  


	21. In the Name of Science

_My name is..._  
_My name is...._  
_My name is Mask._

  
_Yota agreed to the experimental treatment despite my warnings it would be painful. He's rather adamant in his decision despite my attempts to persuade him otherwise. I do not wish to perform such a painful experiment on a child as it's not right for a child to experience such pain... is it cruelty if the child consented to it? I hope not. If ~~my elder brother~~  Hashirama was here, he likely wouldn't approve of this procedure. Madara would likely have the same reaction as Hashirama. I hope that Hashirama doesn't find a way to possess the cells of his I have in my body and murder me---or at least incapacitate me. I know he and Madara wouldn't understand. I gave Yota every chance to decline and told him how dangerous it is, yet those two wouldn't see it that way... they wouldn't understand._

 

_This is for science, pure scientific research. If I have a willing subject, I must accept that opportunity. Age shouldn't factor into this, as science doesn't fret about such things.. there wouldn't be any progress in science if it did. Plus, this treatment would help Yota immensely if it is a success. He would be able to live a more comfortable life should I succeed. If I do not.. then it is of no emotional loses for me. The only loss would be possibly my only chance to study his kekkai genkai. I do not consider Yota to be anything more than an experiment. Especially not a son. Emotional attachments are pointless things that will only end up in a catastrophic mess._

 

_I do have my own worries about the treatment. I do have something to fall back on should it fail but it's far from what is ideal. I push aside my worries and continue onwards in the name of science._

 

* * *

_The treatment went without any major complications. This is good, because that means the eight year old and his kekkai genkai shall continue to live. I will monitor the child for the next few days to ensure there will be no future unforeseen consequences from this procedure. I cannot risk any errors or possible complications when I have succeeded in performing such a risky and dangerous experimental treatment. Yota himself is an invaluable subject as my long term experiment so my worry about his recovery is justified._

 

_Everything I do is in the name of science._

 

* * *

_If everything goes well, I should be able to begin training Yota within the next few weeks. It has been a long time since I've done anything remotely similar to teaching. I hope that my previous experience as an instructor will be sufficient enough for this. The most ideal way for me to observe the boy's kekkai genkai would be to see him use it up close and there's no better way to do this than through acting as his instructor in the shinobi arts. Yota is younger than the age my team of students began their training, I should keep this in mind so I don't push him too far past his limits. Plus, the boy has been begging me to train him to be a shinobi, but that has no weight on my decision to teach him. This is purely for scientific observation. I should begin creating my lesson plans soon._

 

_I should keep things basic and simple for the boy's beginning lessons. Unlike my former team of students, Yota has no prior experience in the shinobi arts which is something I must keep in mind. ~~~~ ~~~~~~This is something I wanted to do with my own children one day. I suppose this is the closest I'll have to having a child of my own.~~  Once again, this is purely for science. Plus, this will prove if the treatment was truly effective and lasting.  _

 

* * *

 

_I can't let myself get too distracted with Yota and his condition. There is a war going on, the camp of refugees around my lab relies on me to keep them safe. The Great Nations are feuding and fighting and I want nothing to do with the bloodshed. However that is easier said than done, as I have to knock out stray Leaf Shinobi and drag them away and kill the shinobi from other villages who wander too close. That's why I set up the barrier around this place, I'll remove it once war time has passed. Until then, the seal barrier shall remain. I believe I based this barrier jutsu off Uzumaki fuinjutsu I studied back in the Hidden Leaf, so I doubt anything should be able to see or breach through it._


	22. False Reincarnation

The Third Shinobi War was finally over. What were the great nations even fighting about anyway? What was the Second Shinobi war even about? Mask honestly had no idea, he had largely ignored the Second Shinobi War and he didn't even realise there had been a Second Shinobi War until it was pointed out to him. The Third Shinobi War was unexpected and he didn't understand the politics behind it all. Mask was quite disinterested in the war and politics altogether, but he kept his eyes open enough to keep aware so that he wouldn't be caught off guard in case another war was to start or to be informed when something interesting happened. Interesting like when people were declaring a blonde haired Leaf shinobi as his reincarnation during the Third Shinobi War. Now, THAT was interesting. That was something that was worth the extra effort to investigate into, its not everyday you have the chance to meet your supposed reincarnation.

 

* * *

 

What could possibly give people the idea that this shinobi could be his reincarnation in the first place?

 

The man's name was Minato Namikaze. He was known as Konohagakure's 'Yellow Flash' and considered the fastest man alive by many. Tobirama had been known for his speed once but that wasn't enough to deem a man his reincarnation. There had to be more to it than that, speed alone might earn you a nice comparison but to be considered a reincarnation? There had to be more to it. So, he would have to utilize his resources to gather information on this man. That was fine by him, even if it did take a bit of time because of the war. It was a rare occasion when he took an interest in the Hidden Leaf or any of the hidden villages of the other shinobi nations. It was natural for the former Hokage to be curious about who the shinobi everyone hailed as his reincarnation. He wanted to know how this man fought and how people drew comparisons between the both of them.

 

The easiest information obtained was that of the man's appearance. The man has blue eyes and Tobirama once had light blue eyes. The former Hokage has white hair and his supposed reincarnation has blonde hair, so they both had light colored hair. Was it a hair and eye color thing? No, it went past minor things like hair and eye color. Appearance would be irrelevant. The man's behaviors and fighting style was measured to make the comparison to himself or at least Mask assumed so. But aside from the details of Minato's background and appearance, Mask's sources couldn't provide much information. He found his sources' unreliability rather disappointing but dwelling on such shortcomings wouldn't help him in anyway. The best he could do is compile everything he knows about the Yellow Flash and draw conclusions from there.

 

**********************  
Minato Namikaze  
Age Range: 20 to 25  
Hair Color: blond  
Eye color: blue  
Height: somewhere around 5'8" or 5'9"  
-Trained by Jiraiya, the Toad Sage.  
(Jiraiya is the former student of Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, who is Tobirama's former student.)  
-Known as the 'Yellow Flash' due to his speed  
-Fast to the point where it appears he teleports? That bit of information wasn't exactly clearly.  
-Uses specialized kunai?  
\- it is possible that he has access to a version of Sage Mode.  
**********************

  
His sources had trouble finding information on the man's exact fighting style. Speed and 'so fast that it appears to be teleporting' were not what Mask considered to be adequate details about the man's fighting style. What chakra nature transformations could Minato use? What sort of weapons did he favor? Wait, his sources did say that the man preferred using specialized kunai which was somewhat helpful. That didn't tell him much about how the 'Yellow Flash' fought in battle though. The only way for Mask to obtain that information was to fight the famous 'Yellow Flash', his supposed reincarnation. But did his curiosity go that far?

 

Of course it did. Mask was a scientist after all. He is the shinobi who uses science to further his own power and knowledge. Old age? Old age was a joke to the former Hokage. His own age was just a worthless number to him as he had slowed his aging process years ago when he was still a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf. Mask is still a fearsome shinobi even without his reputation as Tobirama Senju. The battle between the ghost and and his supposed reincarnation would truly be a sight to behold. It took some effort, but Mask eventually found the opportunity to fight this shinobi after tracking him down.

 

This battle would be Tobirama's test for Minato. This was to see if the 'Yellow Flash' is as skilled and powerful as others claimed and to see if the shinobi's fighting style as similar to Tobirama's for people to make such a claim of reincarnation. This was a simple test, but it was similar to an experiment on many levels.

 

* * *

 

_Minato Namikaze was not quite how I expected him to be, but that is to be expected. After all, most of my information about the shinobi was from rumors and second-hand information. I'm not sure what I expected to begin with from the information that I obtained. The only thing that I knew about his battle style was his speed as my sources failed to gather anything else on the matter. He wasn't an opponent I took lightly, as he was trained by the Toad Hermit, who was taught by my former student Hiruzen Sarutobi. I suppose this was also a chance to judge how well Hiruzen taught Jiraiya and the rest of the sannin... and judge how well Jiraiya taught Minato._

 

_The Hidden Leaf's ability to pass on lessons and teachings to the next generation hasn't seem to have dulled from what I have observed. The man's speed was quite impressive, impressive enough for his main fighting style to revolve around it. Minato is highly intelligent and quick to adapt to new difficulties that may arise in mid-combat, something I was known for. That's not enough for people to call him my reincarnation though. His main fighting style is focused on his speed and he supplements this with using the 'Flying Thunder God' jutsu. I'm not sure how he managed to learn that jutsu, as I didn't teach it to any of my students or entrust the knowledge of the jutsu to anyone. It is possible the 'Yellow Flash' created his own version of the technique but I have my doubts. None of the less, he's developed a fighting style his own around the jutsu that was similar to one of my own fighting strategies. Those specialized kunai are emblazoned with his Flying Thunder God seal allowing him to summon himself to its location. That certainly explains why people said Minato could teleport behind enemy lines._

 

_His usage of the Flying Thunder God technique initially caught me off-guard, Minato seemed equally as surprised as I was when he saw that I too used the Flying Thunder God technique. I had never anticipated I would fight someone who could use this jutsu of mine against me. My version Sharingan and my abilities as a sensor were quite helpful in this battle, I could adapt and react more quickly than him. Even then, the battle felt a little easy, I had expected more of a challenge. It wasn't that the battle wasn't as challenging as I expected, because it had been. However it appeared that Minato was distracted by his thoughts in battle for whatever reason. I had not paid too much attention to this during my fight with him, but I made mental note of it as a simple observation._

 

* * *

  

"There are only two known users of the Flying Thunder God technique, as the Second Hokage did not pass down the jutsu." Minato stated. "It also wouldn't make sense for him to teach the jutsu to someone outside of the Hidden Leaf."

 

"The only logical conclusion is that you are Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage."

 

The masked man did not answer. Instead, Mask looked into the man's eyes with his glowing red irises.

  
"Sleep and Forget." That was the final thing Minato heard before suddenly falling unconscious.

 

Minato had weakened enough from battle to be susceptible to the jutsu cast by Mask's eyes. The man wouldn't remember this fight, but he would awaken soon enough. With that, Mask made his leave, making his Flying Thunder God seals disappear as he did. As much as Mask hated to manipulate minds like that, he couldn't afford to risk the Leaf discovering him. Minato would be fine, as he was not in enemy territory, he could easily make his own way back to safety.

 

* * *

 

_Minato had figured out the truth of my identity while we fought. That's what was distracting him during our battle. His intellect is impressive and his mind is sharp. The usage of my technique is also impressive, even if I am unsure of where I learned it, I must give him credit where it is due. I also must give credit to Jiraiya for teaching Minato, and commend Hiruzen for teaching Jiraiya. I can see why people think this Minato is my reincarnation. However, in order to reincarnate, you must be dead to begin with, and I did not_ _die._

 

_But others do not know that, and I intend to keep things that way._


	23. Chapter 23

In a secluded part of the Land of Sound, Mask was finished with most of his work and did a last minute chakra sensing scan before calling it a night. Mask paused as he sensed somethings or someones that shouldn't be there. How troublesome, the group was approaching his little hamlet. It seems like he wasn't quite done for the night like he had hoped. Not one to dawdle, Mask made his way to investigate the group of chakra signatures, preparing himself for the possibility of combat. The former Hokage was not in the mood for conflict at the moment but it was likely there would be combat... The sooner he finished investigating and dealing with the group, the better. 

 

* * *

 

A man with snake-like features was leading a team of people. The snake man was a Konohagkaure shinobi but he was leading a sort of expedition out in the Hidden Sound. One of the members of his team had silver hair and wore round glasses, undoubtedly a leaf shinobi. The rest of the group seemed to be civilians. Unusual. What was their purpose? Why were they skulking about at this time of night?

 

_How intriguing._

 

Mask kept himself hidden in the trees above. He was following them and observing them. There were only two shinobi in the entire group. There is a high possibility of the snake shinobi being one of the legendary sannin taught by Hiruzen. What brings such a famous face to his part of the Land of Sound? Assassination? Highly unlikely due to the civilians accompanying him. This didn't strike him as being a hostile force but that's part of the reason why Mask was confused and also one of the reasons why Mask was curious.

 

_There's something somewhat familiar about that snake shinobi's chakra. I can't quite figure out what it is though._

 

Mask was curious and the best way to get answers would be to have a conversation. That's why he stopped putting in effort to conceal himself. How long would it take for the sannin to notice his presence? Was he testing the student of his student? Possibly.

 

* * *

 

It didn't take too long at all, apparently. It only took a short amount of time for him to be called out by the sannin. Mask carefully dropped down from the tree and landed on his feet. Here was the demon of the Land of Sound, the shinigami or Masked Ghost, whatever people were calling him these days-- here he was willing to talk to them. Nothing too scary, right? At least, he shouldn't have come off as threatening. The masked former Hokage stood a few feet in front of the snake sannin who was presumably the leader of the team here. Then suddenly, someone decided that they wanted to scream their head off. Mask glared over the sannin's shoulder to see the woman responsible for the screeching that resounded throughout the night.

 

The former Hokage was justified in judging that the woman was annoying, seeing as the scream was grating at his patience. Some of the other civilians in the group were trying to calm her down but she seemed to be in a state of panic. Mask knew his fearsome reputation preceded him but he felt this was somewhat uncalled for, considering he hasn't attempted to attack.

 

A few minutes had passed before the woman finally fell unconscious from her own panic. That was rather unexpected. At least now, a conversation could occur.

 

* * *

 

_Orochimaru of the Legendary Sannin was here to build a lab and do research. That was something I did not expect. It seems our mutual interest in science and experimenting makes us colleagues._

 

_However, I still do not understand why his chakra signature is familiar to me when I have never met the man before. There are a number of possible reasons why this could be the case but a good portion of those reasons are impossible. I do find the matter intriguing, and that is a small part of the reason why I allowed him to build his lab here. I hope this doesn't come back to haunt me in the future._


	24. Chapter 24

The Leaf Village eventually hailed Minato Namikaze as the Fourh Hokage. This did not surprise Mask that much as his former student Hiruzen was catching up on years. Mask would be worse off than him in aging if not for the experiments he performed on on himself. Minato was likely to have a long career of being Hokage ahead of him, barring the possibility of unforeseen circumstances. The Village would likely continue to prosper under Minato's leadership. His leadership would hopefully be able to uproot some of the more sinister elements lurking in the village but otherwise it would just be more prosperity like most of Hiruzen's term. Konohagakure was in good hands, there was no need for Mask to worry. In fact, it wasn't his place to care anyway so why did he? The former Hokage had his own concerns, it wasn't his place to care about the Hidden Leaf anymore. The Hidden Leaf was no longer his problem. 

 

So why did he continue to care ever so slightly?

 

There's not an answer for that as Mask isn't sure of the reason. Or perhaps he does know but he refuses to acknowledge it. As long as the masked shinobi didn't let it distract from his work, it didn't matter. Distractions were the last thing that Mask needed anyway, he needed his complete and undivided focus on his research and experiments.

 

Mistakes could not be afforded.

 

* * *

 

The attack of the Nine Tails was one such unforeseen circumstance it seems. How unfortunate. The Fourth Hokage was no more. His reign of being Hokage was cut short by his untimely death. It might not have needed to end that way, but the ending cannot be changed now. Time will move on regardless and the consequences of his death will manifest themselves as this occurs.

 

~~_I hope the Hidden Leaf will be able to press forward and recover from this._ ~~

  
_No. I shouldn't care for such things. The Hidden Leaf Village is not my concern. It stopped being my concern years ago. Or perhaps, it is my concern. After all, should an enemy of the Hidden Leaf take this opportunity to strike, it would jeopardize the stability of the Land of Sound due to small size of the nation and the proximity to the Land of Fire. My colleague would likely have to return to the Hidden Leaf Village should war break out... Konohagakure directly or indirectly affects things that are my concern. I suppose it is only natural and logical to show interest in the affairs of the Hidden Leaf._

 

Why did Mask feel that he needed to explain this to himself all the time?

 

The reason is simple, he didn't want to slip back into being Tobirama Senju. No, the term is revert back. He didn't want to be Tobirama Senju again. That man is dead. That identity is dead. All of the emotions of that man or anything remotely resembling those feelings needed to be handled carefully and purged when necessary. It wasn't an easy task but it was something that Mask deemed absolutely necessary. It would be easier to stop trying to convince himself that he's dead but this was the option he considered most ideal. Therefore he would continue to prune and explain away emotions with logic and reason. Perhaps this is his way of coping with things. It is not a very good coping method if that is the case.

 

But then again, Tobirama's father never taught him or his siblings on how to cope with things. It's difficult to teach oneself good and healthy ways to cope.

 

* * *

 

  
*A FEW MONTHS EARLIER*

 

_My base here has grown since I first established my residency here. The number of people here has grown from just me to a small community. I would almost call this place a village but it doesn't compare to the villages of the Five Great Nations. But, if I were to call it a village, I would name this community Otogakure._

 

The Village Hidden by Sound.  
It is a suitable name for this little community he made. The Great Shinobi Nations were too busy making their own noise and fighting each other. They do not notice the Land of Sound, and certainly not the tiny village hidden because of their own noisy dramatics. It was perfect.

 

~~How ironic. This is the second time he's helped create a Hidden Village. He should feel proud of himself. Maybe Mask does feel proud, but it's not like he'll admit that.~~

 

* * *

 

The arrival of Orochimaru brought some unexpected but welcome changes to Otogakure. The strange snake man had the rare kekkai genkai of Stone Release. It had some similarities with Wood Release in how it manifested itself. Mask wanted to test this eventually. The masked shinobi knew he wouldn't be able to flat out experiment on his colleague but he could at least spar with him and observe the kekkai genkai that way perhaps. Between his colleague's stone release and Mask's own wood release, the two of them are capable of renovating the little village. In fact, renovations were already being planned. This was progress in the making.

 

It is only natural for human beings to strive for improvement. Progress and improvement tend to go hand in hand.

 

The first building completed was that of Orochimaru's lab, that had been built before renovations were even a thought. Perhaps it was the construction that inspired the idea of renovating other buildings as an afterthought. The inspiration and reasoning behind the renovations didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things though. It was just renovations, nothing special. Yota found it exciting, so perhaps others did as well. But then again, Yota is a child and most children tend to get excited over small things.

 

Maybe he will ask some of the villagers what they thought of the new ongoing renovations.

  
....

Since when did he care about what people thought about things like this? It wasn't research or science related so why should he care? It wasn't a matter to be concerned about. If there was a problem, someone would tell him. It was that simple.

 

The addition of Orochimaru's facility nearby should not impact the unspoken system in this community. After all, no one took an issue to the building of the facility. Despite the change, things were going to remain the same for the villagers, as there wouldn't be any supervision from the Hidden Leaf, so the secrecy of Otogakure is preserved. The only change was that Mask now has a colleague. A colleague that was also located nearby, meaning he wouldn't have to travel from the village to exchange notes and other things.

 

There was no time to worry about any of that anyway. Mask had a much more pressing matter to deal with.

 

And that problem was Izuna Uchiha.

 

Izuna was still alive and that was a problem because Izuna was dangerous. In fact, keeping track of Izuna's movements and interfering with his plans was another thing that Mask did. He did so in secret and with great care, he couldn't afford to reveal himself or make any sort of mistake.

 

Why did Mask care in the first place?

 

Because Izuna was still the brother of his friend Madara. Since Madara died, Tobirama felt that it was his responsibility to deal with Izuna. Mask still felt that responsibility, especially now that Izuna's plans went beyond the Hidden Leaf Village and the Land of Fire. This was his burden and he would deal with Izuna even if it kills him, even if it kills Izuna, even if it kills them both.

 

Hopefully, it doesn't end up killing them both. In the ideal scenario, neither of them die but knowing the situation, Mask might end up having to kill Izuna and he can only hope that Madara can forgive his actions from whatever afterlife or lack of afterlife. Tobirama was never particularly religious to begin with but he does acknowledge that there might be a sort of afterlife.

 

Hopefully, Hashirama wasn't watching over Mask's actions from the afterlife. That would be awkward, especially considering Mask has enough to answer for already, like the abandonment of his duties as Hokage. That will be something he will eventually have to answer for in this life, he didn't need to worry about answering for it in an afterlife. Hashirama wouldn't understand anyway, and Madara probably wouldn't either.

 

Not even his beloved would understand.

 

But that's okay. They're all dead anyway.

  
And he doesn't plan on joining them anytime soon. He has too much left to do and for that he must continue. Continue with his research. Continue with his experiments. He wouldn't let his work go unfinished. Not now. Not ever.


End file.
